The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-02-26
MANNERS.

There is q sign OF greeting used IN
che City Of Mexico and the southern
part of the republic that I have never
seen in the north nor on the western
slope, where the bow still rules. At
the capital an acquaintance. whether
gentleman or lady, in saluting one Of
either sex, lifts the open hand, palm
toward ones self, and waves the
fingers, or often only the two middle
ones. It rather startles a foreigner at
FIRST, but II is really . very pretty and
graceful mode Of greeting. have OBJ
served that it is most used when salut.
ing from a little distance, as across .
street, and it no doubt came into use
because Of the density Of traffic. in
which the bow might pass u~nperceived.
The Mexicans are much given to
ha~nd.shaking, and they are eminently
. friendly and cordial race. 1t is the
fashion among Americans to call Their
politeness superficial and insincere. J
have not found it 50, but I do admit
that its Formally is at times a little In
convenient. For instance, when one is
In haste to catch a train, ormect an ap-
pointment, one can not rush away with
. hasty 80 long" It would violate
the conventionalities to depart without
exchanging the customary elaborate
farewells with each individual member
Of the circle. Then, in passing through
a door, there is almost invariably .
contest Of courtesy as to who shall G.
FIRST.
I was not a little amused, and still
more vexed, the other day, by an
American, who insisted that this was
precautionary, rather than courteous,
arising from an old-time fear of a
treacherous stab in the back. OF
course it was a smart speech, but about
as unfair as most Of the judgments
pronounced upon this patient and long.
suffering race by those whose knowl.
edge of them is but superficial and very
prejudiced. In such cases I usually
cut the knot Of delay by acceding ia
the insistence that I take precedence,
quoting Leicester's pretty speech Of
d~eferential obedience when he passed
before his Queen. That bit of stately
humility is thoroughly in consonancs
with the Mexican character.
The proper demonstration of fare
well between Mexican women is the
light embrace, emphasized in the North
by each patting with her right hand on
the others shoulder; in the City Of
Mexico and whereabouts by a kiss
on either cheek. Between women
and men a bow and a hand-shake, OF
the bow alone, is the correct thing, al.
though in the interior the provincials
employ at meeting and parting a mod.
Tied form Of their embrace, between
persons Of the opposite Al we'll as Of
the same sex. More than once
my breath has been taken
away by a handsome young
hacicndado meeting me literally with
open rms To my mind, there is
nothing pretsier than this. embrace,
and the warm-hearted palmadita, or
pat on the back, between two men who
are friends, particularly between an
old and a young one.
A Mexican custom which is extremely
pleasant and convenient TO US women
folk is their way Of leading a lady up
and down stairs, and American men
would do not only a courteous but q
humane thing in initiating them in thi.
respect. More than once, when sight.
seeing in company with countrymen Of
mine. I have fully appreciated the
looks Of astonishment and disap.
proval which Mexicans, perhaps
even the guides, cast at them as they
stalked ahead of me in the barbarou,
fashion decreed in the days of huge and
fitting crinoline, while l toiled YEARLY
behind them. In descending stairs
the Mexican goes a step before his
companion, and, taking her hand,
holds 1t up in such a way that any mis-.
step or failure on her part would be
sustained by him. I think the most
courtly illustration Of gallant attention
I ever saw, was the way in which Gen.
,eral Ramon Corona led his American
wife down the broad stone stairway Of
the house my family occupied in
Durango when I was a child. / then
and there resolved that when It came
my time to select a husband I would
subject him to that test Of grace
Merico Cor. Sc. Louis Globe Democrat
Fasting Power Of Dogs.